TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The 2019 Sunshine State Games makes its second trip to the AdventHealth Center Ice (AHCI) starting Thursday as the Ice Hockey Championships are contested on the friction-less surface in Wesley Chapel June 7-9. Partnering with Florida’s Sports Coast to put on the event, the SSG Championships will field three divisions consisting of U10, U12, and U14 squads from USA Hockey Recreation leagues. The “rebirth” of the Sunshine State Games Ice Hockey Tournament after an almost 15-year absence started with discussions in 2018 when AHCI hosted the SSG Figure Skating championships.
Recently, Pasco County launched a rebrand as the “Florida Sports Coast”, part of which was due to the success of AHCI events and the tourism generated in Pasco County. The three-day event will host 12 teams that attract 150 players and over 500 supporters, fans, parents, and coaches to the Pasco County area.
“FSC has been a huge supporter of this initiative, uniting both FSF and AHCI,” said Gordie Zimmerman, owner of AHCI. “With AHCI being a world class facility, supporting five sheets of ice under one roof and the largest ice rink complex in the southern United States, hockey’s growth has been tremendous since opening in 2017. AHCI has become a leader in the country, hosting over 32 major ice related events per year.”
Alachua County will be a dual host for the Sunshine State Games during the second weekend of June including the Swimming Championships at Dwight H. Hunter Northeast Pool in Gainesville and the Archery Championships at the Gator Bowmen Range and Easton-Newberry Archery Center in Newberry on its docket.
“We are excited to be partnering with the Florida Sports Foundation to host 2019 Sunshine State Games Archery championships as well as the Swim Meet alongside the Makos Aquatics Club of Gainesville,” said Emily Grissom, event manager with the Gainesville Sports Commission. “This year, we have seen an increase in participant numbers and are thrilled to continue to create an impact for Alachua County with these two events. We are excited to welcome the swimmers, archers, and their families to Alachua County!”
Four hundred swimmers will tread the eight lanes of Northeast Pool over the weekend competing in 120 events. Sessions 1-2 will take place Friday beginning with 7:00 a.m. warm ups and competition diving off the starting blocks at 8:30 a.m. with Sessions 3-4 on Saturday and Sessions 5-6 on Sunday following suit.
Individual event heat sheets for the three-day championship can be accessed by clicking here.
The ranges at Easton-Newberry Archery Center and Gator Bowman Archery will house four competition divisions including 900 Round, Field, 3-D, and 720 Round. Instructions for the 105 registered archers are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. at each location with competition firing down range beginning at 9:00 a.m.
For more information on each of this weekend’s event, click the sport’s respective link below:
Archery
Ice Hockey
Swimming
Check back in with SunshineStateGames.com for a post-event recap and results.
About the Sunshine State Games
The 40th Sunshine State Games are presented annually by the Florida Sports Foundation (FSF), the state’s lead sports promotion and development organization, and a division of Enterprise Florida, Inc. The Foundation works in conjunction with a variety of local sports industry partners to present the different competitions. The Sunshine State Games, an annual amateur sports tradition in Florida, is part of the state’s $57.4 billion sports industry that accounts for 580,000 jobs statewide.
About Florida’s Sports Coast
Florida’s Sports Coast offers travelers the chance to score once-in-a-lifetime memories with thrilling athletic opportunity. Home to 742 square miles of rolling green hills, scenic coastlines, countless amateur sports venues and complexes, picturesque trails and rich culture, this active destination offers game-changing experiences for everyone to enjoy— all situated on the beloved Gulf of Mexico. The sports-inspired lifestyle is celebrated in numerous aspects of today’s society and this motto is a promise to travelers that meaningful and epic activities can be found across this energetic destination. #FLSportsCoast
About the Gainesville Sports Commission
Founded in 1988, the Gainesville Sports Commission (GSC) is a not-for-profit organization that strives to promote tourism through sports while creating a positive economic impact on Gainesville and Alachua County. The Gainesville Sports Commission is a liaison that brings sporting events to our local community and assists with hosting, creating and supporting over 45 events annually. Since its inception, Gainesville Sports Commission has directly contributed more than 300 million dollars of economic growth. By bringing participants and spectators to sporting events, Gainesville Sports Commission creates approximately 20 million dollars annually of direct economic impact for our community.